


The Heart of a Dragon

by Kiniiru



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Complicated Relationships, F/M, Guild Wars 2 - Freeform, I Don't Even Know, Love, Sylvari (Guild Wars), trahearne - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-17 08:37:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14185086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiniiru/pseuds/Kiniiru
Summary: The story of Marshal Trahearne and my female character, Haywee.-I kind of have a crush on Trahearne since the beginning and I wanted to try this. Yay. Don't know where it is going though.It was just a little idea while I was playing and I wanted to get it set up, even if it doesn't have a proper end one day.I guess the time is somewhere between Zhaitan's death and the fight against Mordremoth, although the exploration etc is already completed.





	1. Doubts

"Commander? Are you fine?" 

Marshal Trahearne's piercing yellow eyes lingered on Haywee's face. The female Sylvari seemed absent, as if she was in deep thought about something, but when she noticed her superior's interest, she quickly shrugged, stowing her longbow on her back with a skillful movement that proved how many times she had done this already.   
"It's nothing", she replied to the marshal's question, but it was obvious that her words were a blatant lie.   
Trahearne clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Commander, I can't have you hiding something from me", he said, a slight warning in his voice. Despite his friendly nature, he had learned to act like a leader in the recent weeks, and on occasions like this, it showed. 

Haywee flinched back a bit at the edge in his tone. "Excuse me, Marshal", she mumbled, averting her glance elsewhere - elsewhere being the open sea west of Fort Trinity. "I didn't mean to lie to you."   
Trahearne's expression softened a bit. "You seem troubled, Commander", he commented. "Tell me about it."  
The female Sylvari sighed, now openly expressing her distress, and ran her fingers through her stiff, short hair that was covering the left half of her face. Her bright grey eyes turned towards the Marshal. "Sometimes", she said, hesitating a second before continuing, "just sometimes, I'm sick of it." 

Trahearne frowned. "It?", he asked. "What in particular?"   
Haywee shrugged and included the whole Fort Trinity into her speech with a sweeping hand movement. "All of this", she answered. "All the fighting, all the dying, the whole war." Suddenly, she seemed exhausted. "I know it's nowhere close to what you have to bear with, Marshal, but sometimes, it's quite a burden."   
Her superior listened to her words without inerrupting, and when she was finished and turned towards the water again, he smiled weakly. "You're not the only one who feels tired, Commander", he reminded quietly. "I know it's hard. I feel the same." He took a deep breath. "On some days, I just want to hide in the Grove and bid it all farewell." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "But then again, we are responsible for the lives of all these people. People who believe in us and what we do, people who would follow us even into death. And, ultimately", now he looked at Haywee directly who hesitantly returned his glance, "we're responsible for the survival of the whole of Tyria."   
The other Sylvari sighed. "I know that", she admitted. "I have always known. Yet I can't bring myself to be convinced that this kind of responsibility and duty is something to be carried on so few shoulders." 

The marshal didn't hesitate. With a small smile, he patted Haywee's shoulder. "You're not alone", he said. "That's what counts. There may be few shoulders, but if it gets to heavy, just give me some more of your load. I can bear some more."   
Haywee looked at him in surprise, but her face returned to her usual distanced expression soon. She took a step back and bowed in front of her superior. "Thank you, Marshal", she said. "It means a lot to me, but rest assured, I myself will do anything to lessen the burden on your shoulders."   
With another glance, firm and determined as usual, she turned around. "I will go check on the gates", she said. "Call me if you need anything." 

Instead of taking the stairs, she climbed the railing of the terrace where the talk had taken place, and elegantly jumped off it. Trahearne could hear a silent "Humph" when she landed, then he watched her run towards the main gates. 

"You found a good commander in her", a voice made him turn around. Rytlock Brimstone, ordered here to enforce the troups, stepped up to him with a short bow. Together, they watched the commander vanish near the gates. Rytlock nodded to himself. "She's determined, skillful, energetic... She'll make a great leader one day."   
Trahearne still hadn't taken his eyes off the point where Haywee had vanished. "I know", he replied. "And I'm glad."   
The Charr didn't say anything, even if he noticed the warmth in Trahearne's eyes. But the Sylvari got a grip on himself quickly and turned towards his ally.  
"So, tribune", he said. "What do you have for us?" 


	2. Mission

Haywee entered the rooms of the marshal just as said Sylvari was discussing the newest information with one of their messengers. Respectfully, she took position next to the door and patiently waited for them to finish their conversation. Longlegs, her favourite pet - a cheetah - sat down next to her, rubbing his face into her palm. She stroked him, making a deep purr start rolling in his slim chest.

The messenger, startled by the sound, twirled around, stepped in front of Trahearne and reached for her daggers.   
Longlegs' purr turned into a warning growl, only stifled by the calming pat of Haywee's hand. Said Sylvari chuckled as the messenger visibly relaxed. "Forgive me, marshal", Haywee apologized. "I should've made myself noticeable."   
The marshal seemed amused as well, not in the slightest impressed by the huge cat's presence - different from the messenger, who still eyed the cheetah with obvious dislike - and shook his head. "Not to worry", he replied. "We were nearly finished anyway." He dismissed the young woman with a short nod and motioned for Haywee to come closer.   
So she did, Longlegs following by the heel, and greeted the marshal with a bow. He bowed back, nodding towards her pet. "It's been a while since I saw him", he commented and Haywee smiled, running her fingers over the cheetah's distinct neck spikes. "He's a cat after all", she said. "He doesn't like any company apart from mine, really. But today, he's a bit protective." 

Trahearne's expression got serious. "And that's good", he said. "We have a mission ahead. I just got word from the messenger that one of our higher-ups has been taken." He frowned. "We don't know by whom or where he is, but he's an important general to one of our biggest troups. We can't have him dead."  
Haywee nodded. "Agreed", she said. "When should I leave?"   
Trahearne galnced at her. "Immediately", he finally decided. "You won't be alone, though. I'll come with you. It's too important to not take part myself."   
The female smiled. "Marshal, do you want to keep me in check?", she teased, eyes sparkling gleefully.  
Trahearne's lips twitched in amusement. "Of course, Commander", he replied dryly as he walked towards the door. "Always." 

"Are you sure we shouldn't accompany you?" The soldier crossed his arms in front of his chest, visibly dissatisfied, and his troop exchanged uncomfortable glances. The marshal huffed. "Yes. I will finish this mission myself." He looked at Haywee. "After all, I have the commander to back me up. Keep the Fort safe while we are gone." Without waiting for an answer, he turned around to Haywee. "Ready?"   
The female Sylvari patted Longleg's neck. "Whenever you need me to, Marshall."

As the two Sylvari stepped out of the building and Haywee clicked her tongue. Immediately, a huge jackal who had been resting in short distance raised its massive head and sprung to its feet as it saw his master, trotting over to the two.   
Trahearne eyed the mount with obvious doubt, whereas Haywee softly stroked over the jackal's rough, grainy forehead. "I suspect your prefer to travel via waypoints?", she turned towards the marshal who quickly hid his scepticism behind an unbothered expression. "I guess I could give this animal a try", he shrugged but still kept his distance from the huge mount who now shifted his weight and, while doing so, emitted the sound distinct to all sand jackals - the slight crunching of sand and stone grating against each other.   
Haywee noticed the marshal's reluctance. "Don't worry, he doesn't have a lot of interest in anyone as long as they aren't an enemy", she said. "He's loyal to me and wouldn't dare to touch my friends. On the other hand, however, I can't promise he'd protect you too."   
Trahearne didn't reply to this, but relaxed a bit. "Let's go then", he said. "After you, Commander." 

The Sylvari climbed her mount with quick movements and then waited until the marshal was safely seated behind her. He obviously had never ridden a mount before, seeming unfamiliar with the shifting of the jackal's breathing and the twitch of his strong muscles beneath them. Yet, he didn't say a word when the predator, to a silent command of his master, leaped forward in a giant jump and quickly found a steady pace that was much faster than anything you could possibly compare it to.   
After a while, Haywee glanced at him over her shoulder. "So, Marshal?", she chuckled. "Might get one of your own?"   
Trahearne, stiffly observing their surroundings flying by, shook his head. "No, Commander", he replied. "I haven't been good with animals at any given time in my life. I might as well go by foot and use the waypoints, even if it is slightly more expensive than riding him."   
Haywee, as a ranger, couldn't imagine not being good with animals, but she turned forward again and stayed quiet for a while. "I think you would manage", she then quietly commented. "You're someone who can manage nearly anything, Marshal." 

Trahearne was slightly taken aback at this compliment, but before he could come up with an answer, the jackal jumped right into a portal and everything he could've said was lost in the blue vortex.


	3. Jungle

After three more portals and a whole lot of running, the marshal and his commander finally arrived at their destination - the heart of the Maguuma jungle.

Trahearne slid off the jackal, looking around while rubbing his neck which had been a bit stiff ever since they left the second portal. "It's been a while since I've been here", he mumbled, looking up to the cloudy sky or whatever parts of which could be seen through the dense leaf canopy.  
Haywee stepped up to him. "Same for me", she added, observing their surroundings, then she chuckled. "This jungle holds quite a lot of memories... I remember when I first came here, I was completely overwhelmed. It took some time to get used to it."  
Trahearne looked at her from the side. "Really?", he asked. "You seem like a very competent person to me, though."  
Haywee threw him a small smile. "Everyone has to start somewhere, no?", she replied. "This part of the Maguuma was never a favourite of mine. I prefer the more civilized areas, though I have to admit - the landscape can be amazingly beautiful."

Before the marshal could say anything, something caused the bushes to their right to rustle. The jackal ducked down and growled, and Haywee automatically reached for her bow, but Trahearne stopped her with a single hand movement. "Relax, Commander", he said as a group of soldiers in familiar armour walked out and bowed in front of them respectfully.  
Joining them, the marshal threw the female Sylvari a short, amused glance. "Even if you don't like the jungle, you shouldn't assume everything here is bad", he said before turning away. Haywee was astounded, her expression turning angry for a second, but she didn't have time to act on it, because Trahearne looked at her over his shoulder questioningly now. "Commander?", he asked calmly. "Are you coming?"  
The ranger grabbed one of her daggers firmly and calmed herself down with an inaudible sigh. "Yes, Marshal", she then replied and stepped up to the group. "Sorry for the wait."  
Her glance, however, didn't rest on the marshal even once, and while she walked in front of him, said superior stared at her back with a frown and wondered if he had gone too far.

They reached the nearest camp within some 30 minutes. Trahearne asked about the local situation, but Haywee didn't participate in the conversation. She walked quietly, her cheetah following diligently. The jackal had vanished into the bushes a while earlier to go for a hunt.   
Finally, the marshal decided to step up to Haywee. For a while, he was quiet, but then he sighed. "Excuse my words, Commander", he apologized. "I'm sure you have your reasons to be careful in this area."   
The female Sylvari looked at him, her bright eyes were cold. "I lost many good friends and comrades in this jungle, Marshal", she stiffly replied. "I'd rather not have my Marshal die here, too."   
Trahearne was surprised, and even the soldiers exchanged gloomy glances. "You don't have to protect me, Commander", the marshal said, but his tone was soft.   
The commander shrugged. "What else am I here for, then, Marshal?", she answered. "As your right-hand man, it is my duty to protect you and to help you out whenever I can." Trahearne seemed like he wanted to interrupt, but she was quicker. "I am well aware that you can fend for yourself, but I'd feel better if you just trusted me on some things. After all", her glance was firm and honest, "I know these woods better than you do."   
Trahearne lowered his head in acknowledgement. He knew the commander was right. "Fine", he gave in. "You're right. I should've trusted you. Still I regret my words. Will you accept my apology?"   
A small smile tucked at Haywee's lips and her eyes got a bit warmer. "Accepted, Marshal", she said. "Now let's get our general back."


	4. Clues

Upon reaching it, the marshal and commander were greeted by the full camp  with the usual sign of respect - straight posture, head held high and the right fist presented above the heart. Both Trahearne and Haywee took it with a nod and the marshal dismissed the soldiers who immediately returned to their respective duties. The troop who led them here, however, stayed with them and accompanied them to the deputy head of the camp, a rough Charr female named Sita Ironblood. 

"Welcome, Marshal. Commander." The deputy nodded in Haywees direction. "General Saleem has been missing since last morning", she then growled in familiar Charr-style. "He's a talented and strong fighter, better than all of us. If he was really abducted, his opponents either ambushed him or were much stronger than him." She paused. "Which, to me, is kind of unbelievable."   
Trahearne glanced at Haywee. "What do you think, Commander?", he asked. "Which seems more likely to you?"  
The female Sylvari shrugged. "If Deputy Ironblood is right", she replied, "then abduction would certainly be the easier and more efficient way. Plus, in the jungle, people get lost all the time. It's easy to shrug it off as an accident - and if the enemies know their territory, it's very easy to vanish without a trace, too."   
The marshal nodded thoughfully. "The commander's right", he finally agreed. "Ironblood, prepare a small group of soldiers to accompany us." He turned to Haywee. "Commander, we're going on a search." 

It didn't take them long to find first traces of a fight. Trahearne kneeled down and inspected the trampled ground while the soldiers stood guard and Haywee waited for him to come to a conclusion.   
After a while, the Sylvari sighed and got up again. "Definitely human blood", he said and extended a hand. His fingertips were tainted red, but Haywee frowned."How do you know it's human blood?", she asked. Trahearne rubbed his fingertips together. "Charr blood is thicker and more blackish", he explained. "Sylvari, well, we don't have blood as such as you know, and it's green - Asura have very thin, water-like blood, and a Norn's blood is violet."   
Haywee raised an eyebrow. "Violet?"   
Trahearne nodded. "It might seem like a cliché, given that they live in a cold area, but the color stems from the lack of red blood cells, which would freeze too easily in the icy cold. Instead, they possess a kind of cell which no other race has. It works as a kind of antifreeze, and, well, gives their blood a light blue tinge."   
Haywee had listened carefully and now nodded. "So, a human's blood", she repeated. "We know he was indeed taken by someone or something. How do we proceed? Do we have a lead?" 

Trahearne wiped the blood off his fingers with a leaf. "Not really", he admitted. "If I'm being honest, we just have to search the area for more hints. If we don't find any, we're basically clueless."   
Haywee sighed. "We don' have a choice, do we", she replied and gave the group a short wave. "Come on, guys!", she shouted. "Let's get it moving!"

As the soldiers started moving, forming a V-shape around the marshal and commander, the two of them exchanged concerned glances. "It doesn't look good", Haywee mumbled. "Few hints and blood already, not even half a mile from the camp... Let me be honest, Marshal, I'm not optimistic."   
Trahearne shook his head. "I agree, Commander, but we can't give up hope. If the enemy really abducted General Saleem and hasn't killed him yet, it means they're after information. After the victory over Zhaitan, I'm convinced the other dragons were in rage." An expression of deep concern darkened his features. "We can't know who is behind this, but if it's one of the other ones, we have to be careful even more." 

Haywee was silent for a moment. Then she sighed. "The death of Zhaitan made us careless, I guess. Drunken from the victory. We have to re-group and think our plans through."   
The marshal nodded in agreement. "Definitely. But for now, let's find this general. We can deal with the rest later." 


End file.
